Monitoring MISG
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13619322199700027 |
| Pages | 24-26 |
| Date | 01 September 1998 |
| Published date | 01 September 1998 |
| Author | Di Barnes |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
24 The Mental Health Review 2:3 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) 1997
issues in more depth. These include: inspection of
MISG schemes in 1992; visits to ten local authorities
in 1994 to find out about the planning, use and
impact of the grant (including the opinion of service
users); and a review of joint mental health strategy
documents in 1995 to examine the strategic use
of MISG. Reports were published in 1992,119932
and 19953and a further report is due out later
this year.
In designing a methodology for MISG monitoring,
emphasis was placed on having a systematic approach
which could be universally applied to all local
authorities. It was decided that the MISG Circular,
issued annually to announce the size of the grant
and conditions for its use, provided an ideal
instrument for the distribution of monitoring forms.
The Circular is sent to all local authorities and the
inclusion of the monitoring instructions made a clear
statement that monitoring was an integral part of
applying for the grant. Hence, monitoring proformas
on MISG spending have been attached to each
annual Circular for completion and return to the SSI.
The methodology has presented a number of
challenges over the six years it has been in operation.
The principle problem has been to decide how to
ask for the information which is wanted:
●Is the data manageable for local authorities to
collect?
●Is the data in a form which can be easily
analysed?
●Is the level of detail requested appropriate?
●Will the data be consistent to allow comparisons
to be made across local authorities and through
time?
The financial information sought in the monitoring
has endeavoured to identify the significance of
MISG to the overall local authority spend on mental
health, and what other types of funding are used.
It has also identified the source of the 30% local
contribution to MISG. Interesting data has arisen
Monitoring MISG
FOCUS ON…
Di Barnes, Research Fellow
CENTRE OF APPLIED SOCIAL STUDIES,
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
T
he Mental Illness Special Grant (MISG) is a
government grant available to local authorities
to spend on social care services for people with
severe mental illness, including dementia. The grant is
an interesting subject for monitoring. It arose to plug a
deficit in service provision and it is important to assess
whether this objective has been fulfilled. In the late
eighties, it was recognised that the lack of investment
in social care services for people with mental health
problems was putting the care in the community policy
in jeopardy. MISG was given the very specific purpose
of encouraging the development of community services
for people with severe mental illness which would
complement health provision and support people living
at home.
MISG was a new and additional source of finance,
arising from the 1990 community care reforms. When
launched in April 1991, it amounted to £21m, matched
by 30% local funding, which raised the grant to a total
of £30m. By 1996/97, MISG had risen to £58.8m,
supporting a total spend of £84m. Although the grant is
time-limited, the timescale seems to be open-ended.
Initially the grant was given a three-year life, but
because of its success in achieving its goals and fears
that vital services would be at risk if the ring-fenced
funding ceased, its life has been extended every year.
Currently, the ring-fencing is committed until the year
2001.
Responsibility for the overall monitoring of
MISG was given to the Social Services Inspectorate
(SSI). In the first year, the Inspectorate focused on
the use being made of the money and the nature
and size of funded services, putting particular
emphasis on the number of people benefiting from
the new expenditure. This aspect is discussed here,
but it should be stressed that the SSI has carried out
a number of parallel exercises to look at particular
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